Cashmere is the word luxury knitwear starts and ends with. We would like to ask whether it is the right fibre for a dog.
It is a fair question, and cashmere deserves a fair answer. It is finer than baby alpaca, typically between 14 and 19 microns against 20 to 22.5, and very soft. If softness were the only test, it would win.
For a dog, it is not the only test. Here are four points where we think baby alpaca does the work better.
I. Warmth for the weight
Alpaca fibre holds warm air, so a piece warms without weight. A dog does not need bulk. He needs warmth that does not hamper his movement.
II. Less lanolin
Sheep's wool contains lanolin, the cause of much of the itch people associate with wool. Alpaca contains very little. Against the belly and the chest, where the coat is thinnest, the difference is felt.
III. How it wears
A dog runs, rolls, gets wet and is washed. A baby alpaca knit pills little and softens with washing, provided it is cared for: washed by hand in cold water, dried flat, stored folded. Fine cashmere is more delicate and asks for more care than most dogs allow.
IV. Where it comes from
Our baby alpaca comes from alpacas raised in the Andes and is spun in Peru, then made by hand in Huancayo on manual flat looms. The origin is short and easy to state. With cashmere, the origin is often hard to trace. Ask any brand to tell you where the fibre was grown.
The honest conclusion
We are not against cashmere. It is a beautiful fibre. But for a garment worn by an animal that cannot tell you when something itches, and that will keep it for years, we chose baby alpaca.
See the full comparison with cashmere and merino, or browse the knitwear collection.